Arian Foster Interview

Can You Be Vegan In The NFL?

Branden Peters: What is one of the crazier questions you've gotten about being a vegan?

Arian Foster: The biggest thing is, everyone asked, "If you're a vegan, how do you get protein?" It is a common misconception that the only way you can get protein is from animal products like meat. You can get all the protein you need to function from vegetable products.

BP: When you were doing the strict vegan diet, did you feel a major difference in your body?

AF: Yes, absolutely. The biggest thing was my recovery time after a game or practice or a workout. I just recovered way faster and had more energy. From my personal experience, it is just an overall more healthy experience.

BP: What made you share with the reporter in November that you had started eating meat again here and there?

AF: It had kind of died down. After the season started and I was playing well, the questions went away. Then all of a sudden, randomly in mid-season, a reporter asked me, "How's your diet? Still doing that?" I told him nah; I eat a piece of chicken every now and then.

BP: Once you mentioned that you had eaten meat again, several sites picked it up.

AF: You get a lot of that back and forth. Some people were disappointed; other people were saying welcome back, like there are crews or sides or something.

BP: What is the major difference in your diet and workout regimen this time of year vs. when you're playing a game every week?

AF: In-season workouts are for maintaining rather than trying to build anything. Off-season workouts are for building up to something, and its more intensive. During the season, if I work out, it's to maintain what I've already worked for.

BP: What do you plan on working on this off-season?

AF: Just to increase every attribute that I already have. Try to increase in speed, agility and, overall, just try to get better in every aspect that I can.

BP: So if you decide again to change your diet, will you share it on Twitter?

AF: No! I didn’t think it was going to cause that much of a stir, so I'm going to keep what I eat to myself from now on.